Three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have been placed on paid administrative leave after an LSU football player alleged he was racial profiled and "violated numerous times” during a weekend traffic stop.
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Koy Moore, a freshman wide receiver on the Louisiana State University football team, shared his account of what happened on Twitter, saying Baton Rouge police officers drew their guns on him Saturday night and falsely accused him of being armed and having drugs, according to reports.
“Where’s your gun?” the officers reportedly shouted during the incident in which Moore announced himself as a student-athlete with the Tigers.
“I was violated numerous times even as going as far as to unzip my pants in search of a weapon that I repeatedly told them I did not have,” Moore wrote. “I could’ve lost my life and I know for a fact nothing would’ve happened to the guys who did it,” he wrote.
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The officers involved have not been identified by the department.
Moore also accused deputies of taking his phone to prevent him from recording video of the episode.
He said he felt that he may have prevented the situation from escalating by telling the officers that he was a member of the defending national championship team.
“If I didn’t tell those incompetent officers I was a LSU football player there’s ... no telling if I would’ve been here to tell the story!”
The incident is now under investigation.
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“We appreciate Mr. Moore bringing this incident to our attention,” Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said in a Monday statement. “As in every case, we will be collecting all available evidence and conducting interviews. Accountability and transparency are critical in building trust with the community. I pledge a thorough investigation into this complaint.”
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron condemned the episode and said the program has reached out to the family to offer support.
“I met with Koy and his mom this morning to find out exactly what happened. His brother was also in there,” he said at a news conference Monday, according to reports. “We do everything to support Koy and his family... In my statement I sent out last night I said there’s no place in America for racism or social injustice.”
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward also gave a statement on the matter.
“The details described by Koy Moore of his encounter with Baton Rouge Police on Saturday night are very troubling,” he said. “Black Americans should never be treated unjustly by law enforcement, and we will continue to do our part to help change systemic racism in America.”
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